Gabrielle, Titan, chapter 3
by VP19
Summary: Xena and the giant Gabrielle defend a village; a warlord decides to consume the purple ambrosia after learning of a beautiful titan woman.


**GABRIELLE, TITAN  
**  
Chapter 3  


  
The now-colossal Gabrielle--making no attempt to hide her huge bootprints--began walking to the village, Argo in tow, while holding Xena atop her right shoulder as if the warrior princess were but a small child.  
  
"Let me put you down so I can snatch some fruits from nearby trees," Gabrielle said. "At this size, I'm incredibly hungry."  
  
"I don't know about that," Xena retorted. "You could stand to lose a little weight."   
  
Gabrielle bent to her knees, slid Xena off her shoulder, and gave her a stare. "You know, I think you're getting a bit jealous of me. After all, soon I'm going to need my own bard to tell my tales for history." She smiled. "In a time of warlords and gods, there was Gabrielle, a beautiful yet mighty titan whose incredible size and strength provided assistance to the defenseless and downtrodden yearning for freedom."  
  
Xena shook her head. "Are you sure your head only grew at the same rate as the rest of your body? What have you accomplished yet?"  
  
"Don't worry, Xena. I _will_." She pulled down a branch from a tree and took a few apples, which in her gigantic hand looked to be the size of small nuts. "When I first became aware of what had happened, I thought to myself, 'But I don't wanna be a titan.' Yet more and more, I realize this is a magnificent opportunity. I can do so many things beyond the scope of mortals."  
  
"But do you realize you can no longer do many of the things you used to enjoy, like enter a tavern," Xena retorted. "Well, you could raise the roof of the tavern, but I don't think you'd gain many friends that way."  
  
As she spoke, it began to rain--heavily. Xena spotted a nearby cave and took Argo there for brief shelter. "I'd invite you in, Gabrielle, but you couldn't fit." She laughed mischievously. "Hope it doesn't last too long, my big friend. Would hate to see a titan with a cold."  
  
* * *  
  
Meanwhile, the alchemist Moclanus was giving his aide Corocles some instructions. "I want you to go over to Seramus' headquarters--it's not far down the path--and tell him the liquid purple ambrosia experiment is a success."  
  
"Do you want me to take some of it?"  
  
"No, I'm afraid it could end up in the wrong hands. If he wants his soldiers to use it, they'll have to come over here--with the amount of gold we had agreed upon." Moclanus rubbed his hands. "Oh, and if he asks who we used it on, tell him it was a young woman--but don't say it was Gabrielle, Xena's partner."  
  
"I'm on my way, sir."  
  
* * *  
  
The hard rain lasted only a few minutes before subsiding to a light sprinkle, and Xena decided to resume the walk to the village.  
  
"Now what will we do there?" Gabrielle said, clearing tree branches repeatedly clipping her face. "I figure at my height, I can keep lookout and see if Seramus and his men are attacking."  
  
"If the villagers don't faint first," Xena answered from below; she had tired of sitting on the giant blonde's shoulder. "If Joxer couldn't handle what had happened to you, how will people who don't know you react?"  
  
"Well, Joxer's lovesick and crazy--or should we say crazy and lovesick? He's a special case. My good and gentle nature is apparent to all."  
  
They had reached the outskirts of the village, and a farmer saw the giant and her companion trod the edge of his property.  
  
"Get out of here, you monster!" he cried.  
  
"I am no monster!" Gabrielle cried, in a voice that carried a great distance. "I am the mortal-turned-titan Gabrielle, here to protect your village from a warlord, along with my little friend Xena." An enraged Xena seethed and slugged Gabrielle on the kneecap; if it affected her, she didn't show it.  
  
Gabrielle continued into the center of the village, and her loud voice had drawn dozens of people, initially toward her in curiosity, then away from her in terror. All except for one, a young man.  
  
"Gabrielle? Is that--you?" he said, keeping a safe distance from her.  
  
"I recognize that voice!" the new titan said. "Tramelus?"  
  
"Yes, it's me. I'm now a merchant in this town. What--what happened to you?"  
  
"At times, I'm not sure myself," Gabrielle said. "It just happened today."  
  
"Who is he?" Xena interjected.  
  
"A merchant I met a few years ago, just before I met you." She bent on one knee and waved her hand, bidding Tramelus to come closer. "Did you move here?"  
  
"Yes. I run the tavern here. We have heard about the warlord Seramus' plans and have begun to organize opposition, but did not think Xena would heed our plea."   
  
"We have," Xena said, "though I think my big friend here wants to do most of the work--if she's up to it."  
  
Gabrielle turned to her, and snapped, "I can fight my own battles!"  
  
"Very well, then," Xena said calmly. "Let's work together here, and once that's done, we'll split. If you are as powerful and as smart as you claim, there's no reason for us to fight the same foe when we each can take care of our own. I will find a new bard, and you can find one, too." She took a sarcastic tone. "To record the deeds of the beautiful titan."  
  
"Please save your dissension until after the job is done!" Tramelus said. "Meanwhile, I will provide food, drink and shelter for both of you." He examined Gabrielle's towering form. "Well, shelter for Xena. Gabrielle, you may have to sleep in the village square, if we can clear enough room."  
  
"Pray to the gods it doesn't rain," Xena said with a smirk.  
  
* * *  
  
Corocles, a warrior on either side of him, entered Seramus' tent. "I have news for you from Moclanus," he said.  
  
"Very well, then," the warlord said. "I wish to speak to the young man in private," he told his guards. "I command you to stand outside the tent."  
  
"The good news is that the liquid purple ambrosia works, and that it indeed can turn a mortal into a titan," the aide said. "I have seen it with my own eyes. It was a young woman, who under the substance grew to magnificent proportions."  
  
"Where is she?"  
  
"We let her go on her way, sir. After all, all we wanted to do was to see that this works."  
  
"I see. Do you have the substance here, so I may use it on our army?"  
  
"Moclanus was fearful the ambrosia could end up in the wrong hands, especially if a god took it. He or she could become mightier than Zeus. If you bring your warriors to our home, we will gladly use it on them. But Moclanus emphasizes you must bring the agreed amount of gold, or there is no deal."  
  
The warlord smiled. "He drives a hard deal, but I am a man of my word. We will delay our attack on the village for a day and bring some of our warriors back with you. Stay the night and we'll leave in the morning."  
  
* * *  
  
Gabrielle's first night of sleep at enlarged scale was not without its problems. A large bushel of hay served as an impromptu pillow, and her huge feet initially kicked a building corner or two--thankfully without damage to the structures.  
  
"I'm sorry I had my disagreements with you today," said Xena, who stood watching Gabrielle's enormous head lay on its side, "but I don't like being belittled."  
  
"How do you think I felt all this time?" Gabrielle replied, with no hint of acrimony. "I didn't mean to turn the tables, and I suppose I should have realized things would be strained now that our roles have reversed."  
  
"_My_ role hasn't changed," Xena said emphatically. "Yours has." As a peace offering, she held out her hand to Gabrielle, who responded with her hand. Xena could only wrap her five fingers around the titan's huge index finger.  
  
"You get plenty of rest, for we have a big battle tomorrow," the warrior princess told her mammoth companion while walking back to the tavern for the night. "Though, at your scale, maybe it won't seem all that big."  
  
* * *  
  
"Sir, Seramus and his men are here," Corocles said, after Moclanus answered his knock on the door. The return to the alchemist's headquarters had not taken long; under orders from the warlord, the warriors were not told why they had made the trip.  
  
"I order my men to stay here," Seramus said. "I wish to see Moclanus by myself, though you may enter, Corocles."  
  
Once he entered and closed the door behind him, the warlord asked the alchemist about the liquid purple ambrosia. "Your assistant was telling me about how the liquid enabled a young woman to reach titan size."  
  
"Yes, sir, and I am certain the liquid will work on your warriors."  
  
"That's where I have changed my mind."  
  
"What?" Moclanus and Corocles said in unison.  
  
"I've decided this is too good a substance to waste on my troops. I order you to use the liquid ambrosia on me, and me alone."  
  
"But why?" Corocles asked.  
  
"I've been thinking about this young woman. Is she of child-bearing age?"  
  
"Yes, definitely," Moclanus said, pausing. "You're not thinking of..."  
  
"Yes, I am," the warlord said. "If I become a titan, and mate with this beautiful young woman--she _is_ beautiful?"  
  
"Oh, yes," the young assistant said, successfully disguising the lump in his throat, fearful of the reaction from Seramus should he learn the woman's identity. "As beautiful a young woman as one could dream of."  
  
"After we mate, we can create a line of titans, a revived race with power and strength far beyond that of mortals." Seramus smiled. "And history will long remember that I was the patriarch."  
  
Moclanus swallowed, thankful the warlord hadn't asked for the young woman's name. "I'm sure we can find this young woman--she shouldn't be hard to find at such scale--and I'm certain she would be honored to be the first to bear the next generation of a race of titans."  
  
The warlord grinned, pounding a hand into a fist. "There will be other giant wives created for me, too, but we'll get to that later. It is time for me to become a titan."   
  
"Are we to be paid the amount we were promised?" the alchemist asked.  
  
"Yes--and more. I have several pieces of gold in a bag tied to my waist," the warlord said, pointing. "I will keep these with me when the process begins. When I grow, these pieces should grow with me, if what you say is true, and I will gladly give them to you. But if I don't grow, if I have been tricked, not only will you forfeit the gold, but your lives as well!"  
  
"It's a deal," Moclanus said, crossing his fingers. "Corocles, let us take him to the lake."  
  
The warriors saw their leader enter the lake fully clothed--holding up his hand to warn his troops not to join him--then saw the alchemist pour a purple substance into the water. The army stood speechless as Seramus began to get visibly bigger, soon standing twice their stature. A minute later, he was three times their size; the subsequent minute, four times. He finally topped off a minute after that, came out of the water and towered over his awestruck troops.  
  
As promised, he took the bag from his waist and gave it to Moclanus, who couldn't hold it by himself and waved for some soldiers to assist him. He opened it and found six gold nuggets, all as large as boulders.  
  
"It is incredible what I survey," the giant warlord said, looking off into the distance from his newfound stature. "Men, the village is that way. It is time to attack!"   
  



End file.
